Chicago-bred playwright David Ives likes to entertain his audience in small doses. Hence, with Time Flies, he presents six playlets and some twenty quirky characters at the Old Globe’s Cassius Carter Centre Stage under the astute direction of Matt August with an ensemble cast of five. The leitmotif of time is subtly announced in each playlet — running out of time, going back in time, giving of your time, looking for a better time, visiting a different time zone, and time for mystery and murder.

The first of the six plays is called Time Flies. It’s about two mayflies, the glamorous May (Mia Barron) and the rather clumsy and excitable Horace (Mark Setlock). As you may or may not know, mayflies have a life span of about 24 hours, so they have no choice but to make the most out of a very limited situation. Horace and Mia have just left a party (quite a swarm) and May demurely thanks Horace for flying her home. They find they have much in common (birthdays, experience with a rather disgusting molting process, and the recent death of their parents). These two flies, suited up with diaphanous white wings, blue antennae, and some great stockinged legs, soon realize they might have found “larvae at first sight.” But when they understand that extended foreplay could segue right into a funeral they try to hold down the excitement caused by the intoxicating scent of their own secretions. From the moment they first buzzed until they conclude with a poignant “I say … live!” the audience howled. After making mental notes on the mayfly costumes (perfect for Halloween), you suddenly realize that below the intentional hilarity and double entendres, there may be a subtle message here. Babel’s In Arms features the same set of actors as in Time Flies, however, the actors are no longer mayflies. In a strange time warp, they have traveled back to 1000 B. C., where we find two blue-collar types planting the first stone block for a new

construction called Babel. Gorph (Mark Setlock) and Cannaphilt (David Adkins) are workers who spend much of their time arguing for the omnipresence of God so they won’t have to construct the tower. They talk in biblical jargon and toss out such ditties as “Behold the stone,” “Behold the plan,” and “Behold the fucker (lever).” The real star of this segment has to be the High Priestess (Mia Barrow), who does more with two words, “Oh, wow,” than most people can do with a Shakespearean soliloquy. Once again Holly Poe Durbin, costume designer, must receive very special mention for the High Priestess garb, which includes platform shoes with floating fish and plenty of green plumage, perfect for a very busy Babylonian woman of substance. The Mystery of Twicknam Vicarage is a laugh-a-second satire on British whodunits. Mona’s line delivery and “Did I say that already?” queries must be singled out for special mention, although the entire cast is superb. Dexter, the inspector, investigates the murder of Jeremy, a sexual predator who has enjoyed all of the suspects on one occasion or another, including the married minister, Roger. The British accents take over the stage in this hilarious spoof of the classic drawing room murder mystery. The Green Hill speaks to Jake’s fantasy of finding his special green hill where he is able to find peace, quiet, and tranquility simply by closing his eyes. He becomes obsessed with the physical search for his green hill and invests his every waking moment in the search for his personal nirvana. Alas, Jake finally realizes that everything he wants is in his own backyard. Ives’ vision is a new and much more interesting take on “the grass is always greener on the other side.” Sometimes, as Jake discovers, you simply have to open your eyes. Bolero tells a tale of two individuals whose observations about others suddenly mirror their own lives so well they become one and the same. Lives of the Saints is a thank you note written to all of those unappreciated individuals in the world who go about their daily business helping others while expecting nothing in return. It is heartfelt — sometimes achingly so — because it gives praise to all those selfless individuals we have known in our lives who simply try to make life just a little easier for the rest of us. Scenic designer David Ledsinger should be heartily applauded for a perfect square of stage devices that work exceedingly well in this theatre-in-the-round. From a mayfly pond to a Middle-Eastern desert, to an around-the-world journey, a drawing room, an apartment and a church basement, all changes are made as if by magic. The design is nothing less than ingenious. Time Flies has the wit and energy of a consummate playwright, the ingenious design and costuming talents of Ledsinger and Durbin, and the remarkable acting skills of a talented ensemble cast. You can’t ask for more in a show: Go; you’ll have the time of your life!

Time Flies plays through Sept. 7 at the Old Globe’s Cassius Carter Theatre. Call the box office for ticket information at (619) 239-2255.